Cultural Times – the First Global Map of Cultural and Creative Industries

February 22, 201722 February 2017

Issue

Creative economy / Cultural industries

Article Link

http://www.worldcreative.org/

This study examines worldwide revenues and employment in 11 cultural and creative industries: advertising; architecture; books; gaming; movies; music; newspapers and magazines; performing arts; radio; television; and visual arts and design. Worldwide revenues in the cultural and creative industries totalled $2.25 trillion in 2013, or 3% of global GDP. (All figures are provided in US dollars.) The worldwide revenues of the cultural and creative industries exceed those of the telecommunications services industry ($1.6 trillion).

The cultural and creative industries accounted for 29.5 million jobs in 2013, which the report summarizes as “1% of the world’s active population” and larger than employment in the automotive industries of Europe, Japan, and the U.S. combined (25 million).

Comparisons are provided between the size of the cultural and creative industries in five global regions:

• Asia-Pacific has the highest revenues ($743 billion) and largest number of jobs (12.7 million).
• Europe has the second-highest revenues ($709 billion) and number of jobs (7.7 million).
• North America has the third-highest revenues ($620 billion) and number of jobs (4.7 million).
• The Latin America and Caribbean region has the fourth-highest revenues ($124 billion) but the lowest number of jobs (1.9 million).
• Africa and the Middle East have the lowest revenues ($58 billion) and the fourth-largest number of jobs (2.4 million).

The report also highlights how “cultural and creative content drives the digital economy” and “cultural production is young, inclusive and entrepreneurial”.

In order to “leverage a more creative world”, the report suggests that authors’ rights be better protected and promoted, that talent be properly nurtured, and that online cultural content be monetized in a fair and balanced way.